2001 0-7734-7615-6This study argues that Humboldt’s philosophy of language should be seen as a coherent system in which he envisages the interaction of thought, perception and imagination. It underlines the significance of Humboldt’s approach to his philosophical sources and his clarification and development of ideas embodied in those sources. The discussion brings into focus the thought of such eminent philosophers as Leibniz, Condillac, Herder, and Kant, who exercised a profound influence on Humboldt’s thought.